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Geographical indications in branding were discussed at the World IP Forum 2025 in Dubai

The session was organized by Gorodissky & Partners law firm.

Specialists from Russia, Georgia, Belgium and Uruguay participated in the discussion. They discussed the specifics and global practices of legal protection and enforcement of geographical indications, appellations of origin; use of geographical indications in trademarks; and risks associated with the conversion of geographical indication into a generic concept.

“A lot of businesses desire to be associated with the area where they are based. Such a linkage becomes a powerful economic tool to increase the attractiveness of the manufactured product. However, the exclusivity of the right is the cornerstone of the majority of intellectual property. This approach does not apply to geographical indications, since the name of the city, other settlement or geographical object cannot be ‘monopolized’ by a single market participant. Such indications must be available to an unlimited number of manufacturers who operate within a certain region,” said Oleg Neretin, Director of the Federal Service for Intellectual Property Rights (FIPS).